Gwydion Morgan
Ser Gwydion Floyd Morgan was an Athrugadhi Knight Crwydro who was troubled by his past military service under the tyrannical and genocidal King Harold Uril. Gwydion attempted to rectify things by doing as much good in the galaxy as possible, however, he often found his actions, while noble, were prone to causing further misfortune, and his near indomitable will to do what he considered right slowly chipped away, shaping him into a more self-focused man, tired of the world around him. As a Crwydro knight, Gwydion was a skilled melee fighter. He used a sword alongside a large shield, which like his armour, was picoengineered and designed to suit his knighthood. Biogoraphy Humble Beginnings Gwydion came from a farm a fair distance from Ardu-Orga. He was born in November 1188 GSY, the youngest son of the two wheat farmers: Godwin and Caitlyn Morgan. Gwydion and his older brother, Rodric, arose from humble origins, but in Harold's early reign prior to his madness, the humble were well treated. Godwin was a member of the Agricultural Worker's Union, which successfully convinced King Harold to pass the Agricultural Workers' Rights act providing major benefits for the farmer; apiarist; dairyman; rancher and stockman alike, making him popular among the husbandmen of Ariilyth. Godwin was one of the voices that swayed King Harold, and he was among the many who loved Harold and praised him as the greatest monarch to come along since Gwladys I Sciathan. Hopeful with the future they had left for their sons, Godwin and Caitlyn raised both Gwydion and Rodric to be men of integrity, of labour and most of all, of loyalty: above all to the King. Morgan_Homestead.png|Morgan Homestead Gwydion's life was not very eventful in his youth or even young adulthood. He seemed to be following through with the ideals of his parents, even more so than they expected as he did well at school and grew up to be a most literate, eloquent and generally intelligent young man. Between himself and Rodric, Gwydion was the inventive mind, and was especially adequate in history. In his adolescence, Gwydion, more knowledgeable about the world, wanted to heed the call of the beyond. He yearned something other than the farm as typical with youths of his calibre. His parents never thought much of it, and eventually the desire left Gwydion. Yet, even stretching into his young adulthood he pondered the vast ashen plains of Arohgard, and the shimmering white ruins abed the mountainsides of Talmh-Na-Hailleachta overlooking its fruitful green pastures swaying bountifully in the Sun and gentle northern breeze. Despite these urges, Gwydion remained home - loyal to his family and the farm. He was no rebel, after all. Rodric, however, was less resilient, and come the Great War enlisted - marching south with then General Oswallt Vaughan to break the invasion of Ayarikas. Gwydion would longingly anticipate his letters home, and Rodric wrote with surprising detail and humour which always lightened the humourlessly dutiful Gwydion’s mood, and made him envious. Gwydion’s resolve to stay was challenged by this, but never-the-less he remained. The Two Heads of War A few years passed and Gwydion remained at the farm, but as the war progressed and martially rooted nationalism hammered across the country, the patriotic not yet Ser Gwydion left to join the Royal Army where he was reunited with his brother in one of the landing crafts set for the shores of Valdrin - where together they would storm the beaches during Operation Sovereign, beginning what to the both of them was a righteously empyrean crusade against the perversity of Valdrin and Kaniros in the name of God and Country. Ariilythian_landing.png|Gwydion and Rodric's unit stormed the beaches of Valdrin during Operation Sovereign. This image displays Gwydion's first ever taste of battle. The two brothers returned home after years at the front line of jingoistic warfare to find that their King had turned entirely on their social class which once venerated him. With the King driven to the brink by the war, their brethren at home were oppressed, stripped of privileges, heavily taxed and overworked to fill the National Defence quota. The two brothers were then caught in the outset of the Ariilythian Civil War. Yet even now, the stubborn, and loyal Gwydion insisted that treason against the Crown was astutely, morally impermissible; so when Rodric - Gwydion's beloved brother and closest war comrade renounced the flag of King Harold to fly that of King Aodhain, the junta that had built up within Gwydion over the turbulent years shattered. Once again he marched under King Harold, though no longer a purposed warrior. Gwydion_young.png|Gwydion Morgan after returning home from war overseas at age 42 Rodric_Morgan.png|Rodric Morgan, aged 46 During the days leading up to the Battle of Redford, Gwydion had not yet seen blood in the Civil War. As his body remained dormant, his mind went erratic with anxiety. Fearing not his own death, instead eyeing his reflection, trying with failure to connect the visage with the grievous sin of fratricide. He was eventually assigned to General Síomón Gormáin's Third Division bound for Caisleán na Eangnamh, which was decisively massacred during the aforementioned battle on the way through Talamh Croi. Constant throughout its turmoil, Gwydion pictured Rodric's face in every enemy soldier, and heard his voice in the knells of every man he killed. To his displeasure, he was among the survivors of the Royalists, and was taken prisoner of war. During his incapacitation, the broken soldier grieved to the news that his brother was indeed among the rebel casualties of that battle, and to this day Gwydion is embroiled in a very real struggle with the baseless conjecture that he was the one to pull Rodric's fateful trigger. When the fighting ended with a rebel victory, the prisoners were pardoned and released, allowing Gwydion to return home and mourn with his family. Life Post War and Knighthood Gwydion would find adjusting to life post war increasingly difficult. For a time, he moved back in with his mother on the farm, at this point his father had passed away, so he opted to help her in his place in an attempt to begin anew a peaceful life. Unfortunately, he struggled to re-adapt to home life, like many of his old comrades. When PTSD and guilt began to manifest for the atrocities he had committed in the wars, Gwydion become more and more irrational and confused. Despite extensive therapeutic programs, including rehabilitation communities for veterans, the unanswered question of Rodric prevented Gwydion from truly coping. Tensions finally exploded when Gwydion severely beat his mother into blacking out after an argument over Rodric, an act that continues to horrify him. Gwydion called an ambulance, and personally made sure she received all the medical treatment she needed, watching over her with remorse every day, the weight of his violence tolling on him all the way throughout. When her hospitalisation ended, he left her a large sum of his military earnings, and left. Deciding to travel for a while as he meditated on his life, eventually coming to terms with the facts. He could never undo the Great War, and all that followed, but he could still move forward by helping people in any way he could, and so he did. Gwydion was volunteering to repair homes in the port village of Westwatch, just south of Ardu Orga, destroyed by the civil war, and was sailing in on a cargo ship with a supply of building materials when he noticed violent ripples near the shore with feint aquatic growls echoing from. Immediately, he took charge, and warned the village denizens of the emerging danger, evacuating them to safety and calling upon homeland security. Not long after they arrived, Fomorians emerged from the sea to attack the village, but thanks to Gwydion they were unable to move beyond the beach before being blown back into the sea. Morgan was of course there to assist, himself. For his heroism, he was called into Goldwing Palace, and there knelled before King Aodhain. On that day, Gríobhtine's warm steel kissed his shoulders, and branded him Ser Gwydion Morgan of the Knights Crwydro. Fomorian.png|A Fomorian Gwydion was a new man after his knighting. The Crwydro Order gave him a rejuvenated purpose, and for the first time in a long time, Gwydion began to feel at peace with himself. For years he trained in sword and shield at Castle Pike in Northwing, before setting out into the world eagerly to uphold justice and defend the weak. His very first travels took him into the warrior's land of Arohgard, where he believed he could commit the most. Knight_Gwydion.png|Ser Gwydion Morgan after being knighted at age 47 Wayward_cross.png|The Wayward Cross of the Knights Crwydro Castle_Pike.png|Castle Pike - The Crwydro Order's respite and base Gwydion_Crwydro_Knight_Armour.png|Knights Crwydro Power Armour Crwydro_Knight_sword.jpg|Knights Crwydro Sword Servitude to House Tenebris Of course, Gwydion had no shortage of hubris with his new skills and purpose. On his very first trek, he made the mistake of wandering straight into the Great Grey Dune of Arohgard - a freezing ashen desert infested with monsters. A suicide run for anyone not familiar with its geography and fauna. Impressively, he managed a relatively quiet passage up until reaching the Valley of Toradh, leading into Belryn. There, as he strode ignorantly, a vicious Mórcrobh - a gigantuous, yet stealthy behemoth capable of camouflaging itself - ambushed the knightling with no less prejudice than it would show a beetle. Ser Gwydion was grasped by the torso, and hurled right into a boulder, and just as he jerked his torso back for breath, the monster's razor claws scissored across his neck, only just missing his apple. The knight's foolishness there would have been his end had a mysterious warrior not intervened in the nick of time. Gwydion passed out from blood loss, but not before witnessing the Arohgardian Laoch's impressive dispatching of the beast. He awoke later in an estate in the small town of Dubh Páirc on the outskirts of northwestern Old Belryn. He was tended to by servants of this exquisitely wealthy individual, and learned he had just awoken from a monthly coma. Great_grey_dune.png|Gwydion arrogantly tried to cross the Great Grey Dune. Valley_of_Toradh.png|The Valley of Toradh where Gwydion's fateful encounter took place. Morc.png|A Mórcrobh - the monster Gwydion was unfortunate to come face to face with. Saviour_portrait.png|Lord Taedhleoir Tenebris - Gwydion's saviour and liege Tenebris_Estate.png|Tenebris Estate - Gwydion's home for the next decade. When he was back on his feet, Gwydion was finally able to meet his saviour: Taedhleoir of Tenebris - the Lord of his household, and one of the Iompróiri of Lir. Gwydion, grateful and indebted to the Arohgardian, offered his services to him, as is a tradition with Crwydro Knights and lords. Taedhleoir scoffed at Gwydion's proposal, but accepted on the condition that he be allowed to train him, as the Iompróir was less than impressed with Gwydion's sloppy perception. Morgan received further training in combat from Tenebris, and learned to know the unforgiving environment of Arohgard's grey wastes. His actual duties involved typical servant work, otherwise. Doing the cleaning; ordering the essentials; and watching over Taedhleoir's six year old daughter, Meaghan, when he was away, which was often. Meaghan was inquisitive of Gwydion due to him being a knight. He would teach her about Ingosi History, and tell her stories and fairy tales about knightly legends, developing a bond with the girl. Seven_year_old_meaghan.png|A painting of Meaghan, aged 7 As the years went by, Gwydion responded well to Taedhleoir's lessons, and was eventually assigned as knight protector of House Tenebris. With impeccable timing at that, for Taedhleoir became increasingly absent throughout the weeks. Gwydion would protect the estate from any wandering pests that would scuttle out from the ashes with a whiff of flesh, and when she came to the right age, he would teach Meaghan to fight in the Crwydro style, and fill in the parent role with her father gone. However, the two developed an uncle-niece relationship rather than a surrogate father-daughter one. Gwydion happily lived with and served the Tenebris family for up to a decade, though for three years during that time was married to a servant named Matilda which ended in a patchy divorce after a tragic miscarriage. Peculiarly enough, Taedhleoir began to fade almost completely from the family life, being consistently absent for up to months at a time allowing Meaghan to grow volatile out of emotional stress. A Brewing Storm For Meaghan's sake, Gwydion decided to confront Taedhleoir over his lack of presence for his daughter who needed him, but was met with unphasing excuses. Taedhleoir was acting out of character, and unnervingly jumpy, looking skinnier and bloodshot with his senses not all there. Gwydion investigated further, but found out only too late of Taedhleoir's dealings in methamphetamine, and the people he crossed, and was too late to prevent the consequences. Taedhleoir turned up hung by his intestines on a meat hook in a back-alley butchery one day, and after learning the news; a grief-stricken and unstable Meaghan stole Gwydion's sword before disappearing into the city. Gwydion crossed the whole of Belryn, searching frantically for leads to Meaghan and catch up with her before she wound up dead herself, going as far as to delve into the criminal underworld. Eventually he discovered Taedhleoir's suppliers and murderers at a meth lab beneath a car wash; already piled with corpses. Gwydion was further distraught to discover that Meaghan was nowhere to be found, and his leads had dissipated into smoke. Yet there was one other plausible place to look; towards the instigators of this massacre - the big fish of Belryn's Shadow District. Gwydion ventured deep into the Shadow District, and came across the Nightroamers of Belryn. He infiltrated their ranks in a last desperate attempt to find Meaghan; losing hope until his eyes caught a glimmer of hazel in another's. Gwydion would have broken down in joy and relief, had a perplexing horror not swept through him. Meaghan was here, but she was not a hostage or under captivity. In reality she was dressed in their uniform, and acting as the ward of the faction's leader, the Night's Mistress. The mistress noticed Ser Gwydion, and immediately with a look of distrust in her eyes began to question him. Gwydion was not able to hold up and it was clear to the Mistress that he was there for harmful reasons, however for the time being, she let him be. Gwydion, in private, attempted to convince Meaghan to leave with him. The girl was overjoyed to see him, but she had already been woven into the Nightroamers at this point. She explained to Gwydion what had happened; that they found her and took her in when she was scared and bewildered, and then assisted her in avenging her father - words Gwydion felt sick to hear slither from her tongue. Meaghan begged Gwydion to join her with her compassion clear as day in her voice, however Gwydion stalwartly refused. He continued to insist Meaghan come home, attempting to reason with her, but to no avail as the Mistress had now won her compassion completely. Meaghan sorrowfully refused Gwydion, and the knight grew hoarse with anger and frustration, grabbing the girl he practically raised, putting her into a subdued muffle hold, and dragging her away despite her wild kicking. The struggle alerted the Night's Mistress, and Gwydion found himself surrounded by armed Nightroamers. The knight, with ferocity primal and berserk, began to swing his blade with venom in a slaughtering spree, before seeing into the faces of the dead and realising a number of those killed were 14-16 years old, like Meaghan. The Mistress arrived, and engaged the shocked Gwydion with sorcery, overwhelming him and bringing him to his knees. Before she could deliver the killing strike, Meaghan grabbed her by the wrist, and pleaded with her to spare his life. That was the last thing Gwydion saw of the scene. New_Belryn.png|New Belryn - where Gwydion spent months searching for Meaghan Nightroamer_Symbol_But_Better.png|The Nightroamers of Belryn Sorceress_Vis.png|The Night's Mistress as Gwydion remembers her Young_nightroamer.png|One of the Nightroamers killed by Gwydion - no older than fifteen Gwydion later awoke in an alley, beaten and bruised, but alive and physically capable of standing. He now knew Meaghan to be truly lost - brainwashed by a group of manipulative crooks. Every instinct in his mind, body and soul commanded him to go back there and lay waste to them all in the apprehensive, drilling bark of the general he served under years ago, and he was about to do it before he remembered what he had seen. The faces, the children she was using, he could never bring himself to raise a sword against them. Instead, Gwydion tipped off the police, and left the city in defeat. He had little faith that the NBPD could resolve anything, yet that was the last he could do. His familial instincts and guilty conscience haunt him with unending punishment over Meaghan to this very day, demanding him to return to Belryn to deliver Meaghan from what she's becoming, and to perhaps destroy the Nightroamers and slay the witch that charmed her while he's at it. Adventures in the United Republic Years later, Gwydion joined Mordin Salders on an expedition on his ship: The Dalatrass, where discovered Mordin's elusive guest: Chad Infinitie. Being a studious historian, who reviewed the lore of every nation he travelled to, Gwydion knew who the man was upon laying eyes on him, and was quite surprised to find this man - a legend to his country - moping away in Mordin's Dalatrass over his failure to prevent the Dark Days War. Gwydion would here demonstrate his silver tongue, giving a speech exhortative enough to rouse this five millennia year old being from his self pity. To the surprise of everyone on board, Chad Infinitie strode onto the ship's bridge, as casually as if he had only been asleep for a few hours, while Gwydion smiled with pride. As the expedition went onward, Gwydion formed a strong friendship with Chad and Mordin and by their side waded through perils involving the AAH, Avery Killn, and the Westarians that forever haunted Chad's memories. Gwydion had to yet again comfort Chad in the wake of the boogeymen which had eradicated his race. Much to Gwydion's distaste, the crew entered a temporary alliance with the AAH in order to defeat the Westerians, though one that proved fruitful. A fierce space battle commenced, and after blowing up their base, the extra-galactic invaders were driven back into dark space. Chad, Mordin and Gwydion then parted ways warmly. Dalatrass.png|The Dalatrass A_Westarian.png|A Westarian As time went on, Gwydion wandered the Crwydro Path once again, yet his previous experience had left him longing to reunite with his old friends in the company of the Dalatrass. After searching long and far, he found Mordin, and again joined him on what he thought to be another standard expedition. When they landed on the planet, they were attacked by an assassin called The Inquisitor. Morgan successfully defended Mordin, and repelled the assassin - yet Mordin was beyond shaken. Here Gwydion discovered from Salders that he had mistakenly unearthed a frozen Chiss man, along with his followers. Versus Infinitie Personality, Traits, Skills and Equipment While Gwydion was unquestionably righteous; brave; humble and loyal in character - the traits a knight should have - he was in practise a heavily flawed example of a knight. When Gwydion and Rodric joined the army during the Great War - long before Gwydion became a Crwydro Knight - their individuality was stripped thread by thread as they were disciplined and conditioned to work in a vanguard bound unit during the most extreme war Ingos Tenum has ever seen in its modern age. Thrown onto the shores of fog and soot, where cyborgs and wizards clashed; where the prospect of complete nuclear annihilation was open to roar across the battlefield and very globe with every ticking second; where the mantle and lives of all nations and their people were cast into a dice roll to be factored by this very moment; Gwydion's unit, among others, was strained and stretched to become the sheer apex of man's unvanquishable brutality; to become a war machine without empathy or question, the most necessary evil of the time. Their cognition was altered beyond the point of no return, and as a veteran of this war, many years later, Gwydion continued to struggle and fight against his obediently extreme nurtured self, which was ever in conflict with his values as a Crwydro Knight, and as a man of general high ethical nature. Gwydion reviled his status as an icon, especially as a Crwydro Knight, for his imprinting sullied the mercy he believed a Knight should exemplify to those who can be rehabilitated. He saw it as an attestation of Ariilythian cynicism, which was the problem that drove him to align himself with the blissful optimism of the now splintered United Republic in the first place. In the end, a soldier and a Crwydro Knight could not be anymore different - as one operates as part of a unit, and the other is a wholly independent, free thinking, free feeling fighter, and Gwydion considered himself to remain among the former, only draped in the latter's wool. Despite all this, he did not resign his badge, and did not give up in his attempt to change himself for the better, even motivating Chad Infinite to do the same. His determination to do what's morally right was why he persisted as a Crwydro Knight. However, with tragedy splintering from his actions, his perseverance was in an ever fragile state. Ser Gwydion was a patriot to Ariilyth, which is still a far cry from the nationalist he was in King Harold's time. He focused on staying at this spot; actively trying not to stride too far into cynicism, with success or failure depending on the day, making him guilty of contradicting himself on the matter. On a more levelled basis, he was an unbiased, and studious historian, as well as a skilled spokesman. He bore a relaxed, friendly demeanour and has a sense of humour to accommodate, and his age and career had brought him a fortune of experience and a wide perception, providing the many stories he loved to tell, while also adapting him mentally so that his psyche was not easy to break. Though typically a lone wolf, he enjoys socialising, and figuring people out while getting to know them. At the same time, he himself was so readable that he wouldn't make it into a two star theatre troupe. A noticeable flaw that persisted through his life is that he was far too honest for his own good, and failed to convincingly lie. While he himself was decent at reading people, anyone he tried to project a fabrication to could flip through his metaphorical pages like a children's book, and his oafishness did not end there. Gwydion could quickly turn into a bumbling mess if thrown into a situation he was unfamiliar with, such as the aforementioned lying. Throw him into a small star fighter and he was likely to spend a good few minutes figuring out/trying to remember the buttons before half-knowingly pressing the wrong one and desperately, with arms flailing, trying to fix his mistake while only managing to worsen the situation. Knowing his own flaws, he was rational enough to not charge brazenly into dangerous situations he wasn't sure how to handle, and makes sure to prepare adequately, if sometimes overly so. As a Crwydro Knight, Ser Gwydion was a master of sword and shield combat, and his fighting style was a combination of skill, speed and pure berserk to both outmanoeuvre and overwhelm his enemy. His augmented and earned endurance, along with his shield and armour, allowed him to tank hits with the resilience of a Tuchan, coupled with the arm strength of a Hardhud Jern. As he frequently took hits, and typically wandered alone, Gwydion was an experienced medic; being capable of mending himself and others. He was also knowledgeable in metallurgy, and was capable of repairing his own equipment. His Onyx Mark V power armour allowed him to react far quicker than one would expect from looking at his hulking stature; and his honed perception was a high boon on any battlefield. His armour of course included the classic Crwydro wrist cannons, capable of firing concussive blasts, missiles, or a continuous spray of nanites. For ranged combat he carries multiple grenades, a shotgun, a heavy assault rifle and a pistol. His aim was decent, but nothing special, although his augmentations sufficiently nullified the disadvantage. Gallery Onyx_series.png|Onyx Series Marks I, II, III and IV PNG_Gwydion.png|Onyx Series Mark V Onyx_Series_VI.png|Onyx Series Mark VI Gwydion_midnight_sword.png|Sword of Gwydion Red_Order_shortsword.png|Gwydion's Shortsword Gwydion_rifle.png|Gwydion's heavy assault rifle Gwydion_shotty.png|Gwydion's pump action shotgun Beruvik.png|Ser Gwydion's Beruvik Tactical Pistol Gwydion_ship.png|The Longmaw, Ser Gwydion's personal galleon Category:Characters Category:Ariilyth Category:Humans Category:Reachmen Category:Knights Category:Daunting Odds Characters Category:The Thrawn Campaign Characters Category:Athrugadhi Category:Swordsmen Category:Belryn Characters Category:Normal Category:Skolr's characters Category:Classic Altachtics Category:Status: Deceased